alienbishop

Great Car man! and where did you get this seat covers and are they easy to install?
thanks.

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

thanks, i got the seat covers on ebay someone bought them and never used them and sold them to me

black vinyle not hard to install

you need seat cover hog pins/staples

a staple clamper to pinch the seat covers to the frame

and you need strong hands my hands were hurting after each seat

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

also you all might wana shortcut this to your desktop

i got lots of updates coming in a month or so

including:

custom factory looking carputer made myself

custom made overhead console with hopefully working digital compass and temp from a oldsmobile bravada still gota custom wire and test

and i hidden the dvd/cd drive in a pop-up door in my custom made camaro console door lid. basically a door within a door. push a button and pop up comes the hidden drive

cool huh? im also tinkering a place to put a sun glasses lid and there will be a custom made glove compartment on the passenger side of the dash with trans am or firebird logo decal on the front


in about a month or so i'll post before during and finished pictures

thanks for tuning in guys

87GTACamburke

very beautiful car, i like what you did with the rims. great work all around.

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

Thank you very much. Its starting to warm up finally! I'm in Connecticut

pretty soon im hoping to finish the carputer and other custom interior projects.

also im looking to buy a decal kit to have 1984 style thin to thick lines going around the the car jsut above the gfx

and try to get big letters of trans am on my doors like iroc is on the camaro

probably be a month before the interior is done ill post alll pics then

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

ok im taking vacation first week of may. i'll hopefully completely finish the carputer interior.

in the meantime i had some bubbling in the paint of my front bumper just in the eyelids of the headlights/turn signals

i first bought some smoked covers from gts but such a pain because they didnt fit perfectly and werent dark enough

before i fabricate them more than i already have i got an idea to use a vinyl sticker/decal to cover the eye lid area in a day or so i will buy and slap on trim to the edges to make it more flush and look nice on the border of the sticker and paint

i had to cut out the bubbled paint and fill in the gaps with plastic filler sand down and clean the slap on the sticker

almost looks like paint lol

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

more pics, i didnt wana try to paint. such a hassel for alll the paint mixing and re-clearing. im going to let the car get a little banged up for the next few yrs and give it another nice paint job later on

the idea for me right now is to live with what i got and nicley fix any imperfections as best i can

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

2 more please excuse the light glares they r shiny black

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

Here are some pictures i took a few weeks ago when it was warm enough to wash the dust off.

i hope i encourage some and inspire those who want to save and paint their own car

this is mine 1yr 1/2 after painting hopefully stays this way many yrs to come.

1st time painter

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

I gota give credit to some others who did an excellent job hiding their computer in the rear seat

my desktop home built computer was a little big and i didnt want to gut my rear seat.

my computer sits/mounted just behind the reart seats in the trunk area before the big drop.

i have a rear louver so no one will see it but i have it covered in black felt so it blends in nicely with my black carpet

you can only post 3 pics at a time. so i will try to load up as many as i can.

As for the monitor. i got a 8icnh lcd touchscreen.

i wanted my monitor to look as factory as possible without lookin like it took 5mins to bolt on.

i also didnt want to lose my radio.

sooo.... i bought a dash bezel and cut it up to make the frame for the screen.

then sanded and painted

bolted it in.

wasn't as easy as that but thats it in a nut shell.

also where the map pouch used to be. i cut into the whole side to make room for the screen on one half on the other half i put a drop plate that hides a hidden keyboard inside. its held up with a magnet on the top and hindge on the bottom.

also i saw someone else do this they put a usb port in the ashray section

i did the same

i also put a thin dvd/cd drive in the car and had to gut a spare camaro console lid.

i want it hidden. i havent decided if i like it but this is what i came up with.

i took a upper console from a 94 oldsmobile bravada and used the drop cargo lid to slide into the middle of the center lid of the camaro console.

i used springs from a two flashlights to make it spring loaded when i push the release button. ive sanded and painted a few times couldnt get it smooth and perfect so i resorted to texture paint.


let me know what you guys think.

i'm only adding this to get more eyes since i think this such a cool addition to my car and anyone who wants to do the same.


enjoy.

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

i got gps software with a usb antenna

itunes with allllll my songs no more 20songs on a cd and few hundred on an ipod

playlist at my fingertips and i use a nintendo ds to click on the screen so i dont click five thigns at once with my fingers

i use my Auxillary port on my aftermarket cd player to input from the computer so all my songs and gps directions are heard through all car speakers

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

pics

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

more pics

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

more pics of the finished console lid. still not sure if im happy with it


i push a release button and the spring loaded door pops up and the hidden dvd/cd drive is inside

also the screen is on a hinge, if i need it for gps or to select songs from itunes i can pulll it towards me

and push it back flush facing the passenger if they wanna watch family guy as long as it doesnt distrub my driving.

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

and more haha

please excuse the screen it looks like crap because theres a plastic screen protector on

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

i also took the same upper console from the 94 oldsmobile bravada and customized it with the trans am upper console

i did this so i can get 2 map lights and not just some little swivel light

and big reason was for the digital compass and outside temp disaply

everything works great i also have led switches for power antenna, radio, trunk light, the dig compass/temp display, and both a pillar pod gauges

let me know what you think

i also added a firebird decal

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

finished results enjoy

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

the display picture

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

i also added a power driver seat track the plug for power was already there it was a big help.

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

my dad knows a guy and i got the firebird logo on my front seats

hes the same guy that did my rear speaker covers

and please i spent months on my car computer, upper console etc....

please send opinions thanks

The Grim Reaper

Looking good Bobby, I don't think I have ever seen anyone put that much work into an 86 Firebird.

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

thanks reaper,

yea lots of work but in the end its so cool to sit in the driver seat haha


anyone else have any other comments on the monitor?, upper console? anything?

The Grim Reaper

Only thing you need is the big bird on the hood.

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

ha yea it would look cool, but i have the logo littered in the interior might be alittle over kill.

but i am putting 1984 style decal stripes on the lower part of the car just above the ground effects

Chase0224

Great work! Im not a body guy either, and this thread has made me want to paint my 85 trans am myself. Any tips, or anything you would recomend? I hope mine turns out as good as yours did.

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

yea the prep work is the most important step. painting is nothing compared.

first take care of rust spots. sand down or cut out and weld new patches in.

use fiberglass body filler, it wont crack like bondo.

then get all the body parts as straight as possible.

get lint free wipes/rags, and that acholhol that cleans wax/grease etc... wipe down the car with that and the lint free wipes

then if you have an air compressor buy a 100 dollar paint gun kit and ask tons of questions at the auto paint shop and take notes on how to mix the paint and what you need for tape and supplies.

then once your ready tape off the garage with plastic sheets. lay alittle water all over the floor to reduce dust in the air.

theres a thing that goes in the air line of your compressor to reduce water evaporation getting into your paint. that helps to have a non contaminated paint spray.

when you have bare metal use white vinigar on the metal areas. it cleans the area and leaves a very thin layer of protection from condensation. so no rust after you paint. a litle trick someone told me

do it like an hour before you primer.

then depending on what primer you use, i let mine cure,dry,shrink for a month. might not have had to wiait nearly as long but my dad warned me if the primer is still shrinking after i paint it will pull the paint with it. so i waited.

then wetsand the primer with 400grit sand paper and make sure its made for being wet.

then if you go through the primer dont panic just spray a few even coats over that spot wait a few days wetsand and let the whole car dry.


make sure theres no condensation at all or you will have bubble in the paint once you let the car sit in the hot sun.

also there might be some paint additives for plastic bumpers to make it more flexible. or if anything theres a can called bulldog. spray it on before you paint on your bumpers. it will help adhesion paint to the car for good.

then paint your car put the car on jacks so you canget under the ground effects.
and get a stool so you can get the top of the car

clean your gun with paint thiner.

then mix clear coat

at this point if you took your time and dont have runs in your paint.


you can clear coat all you want, the more the better. if you get runs and droops in the clear its ok you can wet sand it down and buff it to mirror shine.

and you should paint and clear in the day time when its 70-80

i did paint and clear in 11hrs straight and it was getting dark and cold.

i got orange peel texture in the clear. but i wetsanded and buffed and you cant tell it looks great


hope this helps. and you dont have to wait so long for primer just go along with what the guy at the store says

Chase0224

thanks alot, i appreciate it, im going to use the summit paint stufff (primer, paint and clear) because i only live an hour away from them. I heard their stuff is good. I wont have to worry about the stool being 6'7"

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

hey no problem glad i could help. anybody else have any questions or comments about my cars body or interior?

Nightcruzer

Hey Bobby, great job on the lcd, computer and upper console. I guess we are both electronics sickos since I have almost the same aftermarket electronics installed including the gauges. I went ahead and installed the temp/compass also.
Using the swing out lcd in an original bezel was a great idea (although you know those 82-84 styles are becoming super rare. It really looks like it belongs. As you know I lost the stock radio location by putting my screen there but since my last posts there is now a $40 plug and play usb HD radio solution so I still have radio, controlled by the touch screen.
I love your keyboard, what kind is it?
As for the DVD player, I mounted mine in the dash pad but I felt terrible cutting and carving the dashpad and then someone told me about mounting it in the visor. I love that idea. They posted a pic in my thread. If I could do it again I would have done that.
Your interior looks great. If I had any other suggestions I'd probably be doing them myself.
I am getting the itch to install multiple cameras, like this ...
and still working on voice activation...


Keep up the great work and keep us posted.

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

nightcruzer, thanks for checking it out. yea im not sure if i like the dvd/cd driver where it is now. but after how long it took to make that lid i'm trying it out.

i like how you fit it in the dash pad. I didnt want to cut up my rear seat i was worried about heat and fire. its a regular desktop i built with a atx-4 power supply for the car.

but in the future i'll try to find a slimmer smaller but faster computer. for now 'm glad that it all works.

only problem i found so far is that i get some interference or weird humming noise from the speakers when no music is playing from the computer. but when itunes plays music i dont hear it so i guess i can live it

but yes im so glad the compass and temp works i jsut wish it came in red but all i could find was audi rear mirros with one or the other compass or temp never both and they wanted over a 100 i paid 2 dolars for the whole upper consoel from a 94 olds bravada. 18 for shiping but still much cheaper. and it came with the temp sensor after lots of digging i found the wire schematic and wired it to my car

also the keyboard took me a long time to find but it was on ebay. i cnat find the old emails of paypal recipts but look for mini keyboard nad im sure with a little digging you can find it


and yes i like that youtube link with extrernal cmaeras. my touchscreeen comes with 2 rca video inputs

i was thinkin of getting a rear camera.

any oter cool gadgets you come across let me know and check back in from time top time i update when i can

and yea i got my digital dash for 20bucks the guy didnt know what he ha on ebay and it didnt have digital in the naming or discription. i just stubbled across it and snagged it. it was a out of production cyberdyne model for 82-90 firebird/trans amsi called up the company and they mailed me wiring instructions. works great

only problem is i havent been able to calibrate my fuel display at full it says 17 but i can change it to say anything with the poteniometers. but i cant get a straight answer if my tank is 14 or 16 gallons or something else so i never let it drop past 4-5 gallons to make sure i dont get stranded even though for all i know i got plenty left but when i fill up i put in 11-12 gallons before the handle kicks back.

thanks for loooking

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

and nightcruzer i would love some voice activated stuff but i know nothing about it if you know of any resources i can look at id appreciate it

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

next i manned up and removed the decals from the inner eyelids of the bumper and going to paint/clear them

wish me luck

as for the interior is im done for now. im out of ideas. im pelased with how it came out

also i need to find a spot for my phone and sunglass ill figure out and post pics when its done

thanks guys keep the comments flowing

KITT1983

iTrader: (3)

Awesome KITT and electronic work Bobby. I am working on a KITT replica as well and I am up here in Massachusetts. How did you wire the temperature sensor and compass in there and where did you buy it from? How did you wire up the power seat? I have a driver's power seat assembly that I need to wire up.

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

the wiring for the seat was very easy. in my 1986 if u look behind the fuse box bolted to the inner fender under the dash. there is a power block

a bunch of thick orange and pink connectors r plugged in. i'm not sure which fuse is on that line but... the black connector that is on the wire harness for the seat plugged right in for me. and i bolted the ground wire to ground easiest upgrade i ever had to do. not sure what you'll have to do with your 1983 to make it work if you have to hard wire it. wire it with 8-10 gauge wire to the acc fuse or go directly off the battery with a 25-30amp fuse

as for the digital compass/temp display i bought it on ebay for 2dollars but paid 18 for shipping

it was the complete upper console out of a 1994 oldsmobile bravada.

i asked them to supply me with the temp sensor.

i dug a lot online to find the wiring diagram but i finally did.

ill give it to you if you buy the same item.

wiring it was very easy. supplied 12v and a ground. connected the dimmer wire from the radio dimmer wire. and poked through the firewall grommet and connected the temp sensor which is bolted in the engine bay just behind the the headlight.

and as you can see from above i custom made the upper console to support the new map lights and digital display

and its not a kitt replica but its kitt influenced haha. Nothing against those who have the time and money but i at this point in my life i cannot spend thousands on nothign but fiberglass replicas and buttons that do nothing but light up.

my switches actually turn things on in my interior and theres nothing in my car that doenst have a purpose.

that was my goal to have a digital interior but everything has a reason of being there and loooks like it belongs

but i would love a real kitt but right now i got a put my money to things that actually do soemtihng besides look pretty. ya know but i wana see pics of your replica dont let me discourage you. a real kitt will look much cooler than mine

but yes any other questions feel free i'll answer as best as i can

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

ok just to avoid any issues with cops since techincally my car is a 1986 and it originally came with the brake light in the glass which since has been replaced from a different year.

i installed a third brake light under my spoiler.

it works fine and its one less thing now.

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

also i manned up and peeled those black decals in my headlight eyelids on my my front bumper

as i said before i got some bubbling in the paint, i got rid of them and used bumper filler

sanded it down and painted

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

here is the finished product in the sun

Nightcruzer

I like those black pockets. Reminds of what some of the camaro guys were doing. Good job.

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

thanks night cruzer. i added tire pressure display kit like you did. i'll post pictures when the shop installed the sensors. i got the kind that replace the valves and go inside the rim

KITT1983

iTrader: (3)

Did you go with dakota digital?

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

hey kitt1983 hows your kitt coming? i got some neat knight rider surprises for ya in the coming months. but im keepin hush hush until its all official

but to answer ur question no they are not dakato digital the main gauges i got for used 20bucks on ebay. they are the discontinued cyberdyne brand made for 82-90 firebird/trans ams

even my pod gauges are from cyberdyne but brand new

and im doing final touches the next few days on some other stuff ill keep you guys posted

KITT1983

iTrader: (3)

My KITT project is on hold until I get a job.

Do you have any photos of the cyberdyne gauges and units? I can't wait to see the Knight Rider suprise.

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

yes i do KITT1983

if you go to the first or second page of this thread/blog

you will see the circuit boards for the gauges let me know if you cant find them

thanks

KITT1983

iTrader: (3)

page three


but which one is tire pressure display kit

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

the tire pressure kit photos are not loaded yet. ill be posting pictures tomorrow after the sensors are installed

the display is between the my window switches and console lid on my center console

tomorrow afternoon check it in the pictures will be here then

and that photo you linked to is my cyberdyne gauges and the pod gauges are air/fuel ratio bar graph display and lower one is my fuel pressure

Stephen

iTrader: (12)

I like the idea of the remote pressure monitors, and love to have some, but not at the prices I've seen. $200 & up!

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

thanks ill post pictures tomorrow the kit cost 135 on ebay and will cost 60 to install

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

ok here we go guys.

3 pictures for now. i'll add another 1 or 2 when its dark, the day time doesnt capture the led display very well

the valve stem is completely replaced by the sensor. theres an ugly orange cap that reads sensor. im cool with it now i can always dabble alittle black paint over it later.

it plugs into the cigerette lighter but in the instructions it mentions you can hard wire it but becareful because the power cord also acts as an antenna for the sensor signals.

let me know what you guys think

KITT1983

iTrader: (3)

awesome dude
where did get this kit

please list link

Bobby_80s

iTrader: (2)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Wirel...Q5fAccessories

Here you go guys this is the kit i got. read it quick make sure its ok for your car. should be ok but i don't wana be responible for any misunderstanding.

any questions on how it works or anything i'll be happy to answer them the best i can